houghton



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. E. HOUGHTON.

NAIL MACHINE.

No. 463,364. PatentedNov. 17 1891.

ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Shet; 2. C. E. HOUGHTON. NAIL MACHINE.

No. 463,364. Patented Nov. 17,1391;

WITNESSES. l/Vl/E/VTOI? ATTORNEY.

Ni-TED STATES PATENT QFFICEQ CHARLES E. HOUGIITON, OF NORTHUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HORACE RUFUS JOHNSON, OF SAME PLACE.

NAIL-MACHINE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,364, dated November 17, 1891. Application filed February 27; 1891. Renewed October 22, 189l. Serial IIQAOQAQZ. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, OHARLEs E. HOUGHTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Northumberland, in the county of N orthumberland and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nail-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in nail-machines for cutting pointed nails from a common rolled plate; and the object is to perfect a machine of this character for pointing cut-nails, wherein the moving dies for gripping and pointing the nail are rigidly clamped to independently-moving grippinglevers operated by a single shaft formed with cams for lifting the levers.

I am aware that nail-machines have been made having double gripping-levers; but I believe that I am the first to construct a nailmachine having two gripping-levers, one of which is mounted in its hearings to have a limited lateral movement, for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

2 5 I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanying dr'awings,where- 1n Figure 1 is a plan view of a nail-machine bed having my improved gripping-levers 0 mounted on a shaft arranged in bearings usually occupied by the center bearings.

Fig. 2 is views of the opposing cam-surfaceson the levers for moving the point-cutting lever laterally. Fig. 3 is a face end view of 5 the gripping-levers, showing the die-beds thereon and showing the one lever partly broken away to illustrate the recess and fastening-collar. Fig. 4 is a top view of the cams k which lift the levers, the direction of movenient being indicated by the arrow. Fig. 5 is a side View of the cams, taken from the crank end of the driving-shaft, showing the tread of the cams, the one on the main grippinglever being slightly cut away. Fig. 6 is a face end view of the stationary die-bed, showing the bed-knife, back piece having side flanges, bed-die, and point-cutting die all in place. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the back piece and die-bed with the side flanges. Fig. 8 is a view of the spring which forces the i the driving-shaft.

laterally-movable lever back to its normal position:

Referring to the drawings, A designates the bed frame of a nail-machine of the usual construction. I have not shown certain of the elements of the machine, because they are not essential to a complete and legal understanding of the present invention, the ob-' ject of which is, as already stated, directed to improvements in the gripping-levers, and these with the associated dies are fully and clearly shown.-

B designates a shaft supported in proper bearings at the front portion of the machineframe and held against lateral movement in its bearings by stay-pieces l 2, adjustably held against the ends of the shaft by screws let into the bed of the machine, substantially as shown. In the present instance I have shown the shaft as mounted in the holes used for the 7,9 center pins of the common gripping-lever.

O designates the main gripping-lever, supported on the shaft B and formed with a recess 3 in its end, which takes in a collar 4 on the shaft, whereby the lever is held against lateral movement on the shaft, the outer end bearing against the inner face of the bed or frame of the machine. On the upper face of this lever is formed a die-bed 5, which takes the moving gripping-die. (Not shown.) The arm of the lever is extended upward, as usual, and rests on a cam on the driving-shaft.

D designates the second gripping-lever, mounted 011 the shaft 13 so as to have a limited lateral movement on its support. This lever is formed with-a die-bed 6 to take and hold the point-cutting die, and the arm of the lever is carried upward and rests on a cam on A spring '7, arranged between the end of the body of this lever and the bed of the machine, serves to force the lever back to its normal position when carried outward by the cams on the inner faces of the levers.

On the inner and opposing faces of the grip- 5 ping-levers are formed cam-surfaces 8 9, arranged so that when the point of the nail is being cut by the point-cutting dies the lever carrying the point-cutting die will be carried on its shaft outward by the action of the I00 cams and the operation of forming the point be accomplished by a shearing and lateral movement of the parts, this being insured by the action of the cams.

E designates the driving-shaft of the machine, on which a cam is formed to throw or lift the main gripping-lever, and of course pushing any die secured thereon forward into contact with the counterpart bed-die 17 in the bed or chamber .of the frame. Another cam 12 is also on the driving-shaft, which operates the lever carrying the point-cutting die. These cams are identical in their tread for the greatest part of their face, but the cam 10 at the point of its greatest elevation is slightly cut away, as at 13, so that the main gripping-lever will drop just in advance of the point-cutting lever and bring the camsurfaces in operative relation and push the point-cutting lever outward while still in the act of making the point.

F designates the back piece and bed-die holder, formed with laterally-extended side flanges 14 15, on which the point-cutting beddie 16 and the gripping bed-die 17 are arranged, as shown in the drawings. The side flange is made wider than the point-cutting die in order that the die may have a limited lateral movement in the bed or seat to act in conjunction with the lateral movement of thegeneric claim to these laterally-moving pointcutting dies in this application, because they form the subject-matterof other applications for patent heretofore filed by me under date of January 24, 1891, serially numbered, respectively, 378,958 and 378,059.

I have not illustrated the cutting portions of the machine because these are so well known to the craft and art that their relation and operation are thoroughly and generally known and understood, and their mention in the statementof operation will be intelligently perceived. The nail-blank being severed from the plate is carried down and engaged and lodged by the nipper, which may be of any construction, in the, scores of the gripping-dies, and the two gripping-levers are being moved up to bring the dies in contact, and after the arms of the levers have been carried to their highest point the main gripping-lever begins to recede while the pointcutting lever is maintained at its upper limit, owing to the difference or depression of its cam. This advance movement of the main the dies.

the point-cutting bed-die to its normal position, and the point-cutting lever is returned to its inner and normal position by means of the spring interposed between the end of the bearing and the machine-bed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a nail-machine for pointing out nails, the combination of two gripping-levers provided with cam-surfaces between them, means for reciprocating one of said levers while the other is given a lateral motionjon its bearings, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a nail-machine, the combination of two gripping-levers on a single shaft, having cam-surfaces on their inner faces and a driving-shaft formed with cams, one of which has a tread formed to depress its lever slightly in advance of the other lever, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a nail-machine, the combination of a grippinglever fixed against lateral movement, a second gripping-lever mounted on its bearings and means for giving it a limited lateral movement, anda driving-shaft formed with cams to reciprocate said levers independen tly of each other, substantially as described.

4. In a nail-machine, the combination of a shaft mounted across the bed of the machine, a gripping-lever formed with a cam-surface on its inner face, said shaft secured againstlateral movement, a second gripping-lever having a cam-surface on its inner face onthe shaft, arranged to have a limited lateral movement on said shaft, a drivingshaft formed with cams to reciprocate the levers, and a spring to return the second lever to its normal position laterally, substantially as described.

5. In anail-machine, the combination, with a main gripping-lever, of a point-cutting gripping-lever and means for giving it a lateral movement on its bearings, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, in a nail-machine, of a gripping-lever and means for giving it a limited lateral movement on its bearings, a pointcutting die secured on the lever, and a-pointcutting bed-die having a limited lateral movement in its seat, substantially as described.

'7. In a nail-m achine, the combination, with a main gripping-lever having a gripping-die secured thereon and a bed gripping-die, of a gripping'lever and means for giving it a lim-' ited lateral movement on its bearings, a pointcutting die on the laterally-movable lever, and a point-cutting bed-die having a limited lateral movement in its seat, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

CHARLES E. IIOUGIITON.

Aitest:

HORACE RUFUS JoHNsoN, EML. WILvERr.

IIO 

